First and foremost, outdoor signs should have a substantial enough sign to ensure they are easily seen. Of course, it’s always important to check local ordinances and ensure signs are in compliance with local regulations. When designing a sign, business owners should consider how far away the sign needs to be seen. Generally speaking, it’s important to allow one inch for every ten feet of distance. Therefore, if a sign needs to be seen 80 feet away, then letters need to be eight inches.

A common mistake that many business owners make is to try to cram too much information on their outdoor signs. When planning for an outdoor sign, it’s important to keep marketing messages brief. Most people passing by an outdoor sign will be driving, which means they only have a few seconds at most to take in the information on the sign. At most, the sign should include the name of the business and perhaps one to two other lines of text. Including more text on a sign is no guarantee that people will read it.

The vast majority of most prospective customers actually pass by businesses each and every day. This means that outdoor signs are a great way to reinforce brand awareness. Business owners naturally want to ensure that their brands are recognizable to prospective customers. The more frequently that prospective customers see branding, the more easily they will recognize it. For this reason, it’s important for business owners to include not only their company name but also their company colors and logos on their signs.

In terms of the actual design, it’s always better to go with bold designs whenever possible. This means including graphics to pique the interest of passersby. To ensure graphics are noticeable, it’s a good idea to focus on the use of light colors for lettering against a darker background. The reverse could also be used to attract maximum attention.

When designed well, outdoor signs are a fantastic way for business owners to communicate their message to prospective customers.